Stirling St Albans Train

The Scottish city of Stirling is the largest city on central Scotland and is build around the fortress of Stirling Castle. The castle sits on top of Castle Hill and is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. Several Scottish monarchs have been crowned at Stirling Castle including Mary Queen of Scots in 1542. The castle is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is now a popular visitor attraction which is managed by Historic Scotland.

The Top of the Town is made up of Broad Street, Castle Wynd, Ballengeich Pass, Lower Castle Hill Road, Baker Street and St Mary's Wynd which all lead up to the castle. This area is popular with visitors who also visit the Old Town Jail, Mar's Wark (a ruined building dating back to the 16th century), Argyll's Loding and the castle itself. Ballengeich Pass leads to the graveyard at Ballengeich and the Castle Wynd winds past the old graveyard. Craft shops and tourist-focused shops are evident on the way up and once at the top, panoramic views are available across Stirling and beyond.

Stirling is a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland. The headquarters of the Scottish Institute of Sport is a purpose-built facility on the campus of Stirling University, which opened in 2002. Also at the university is the Scottish National Swimming Academy, as well as the Gannochy National Tennis centre, which is seen as a tennis centre of excellence.

The cathedral city of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, has a long history dating back to Roman times which can be observed in the city's Roman remains and beautiful medieval architecture. The city has open spaces and is surrounded by beautiful countryside and has many attractions to suit all. In addition to the city's national high street shops, there are many small independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. If you are interested in the city's Roman heritage then take a visit to the Verulamium Museum where beautiful objects from the Roman City of Verulamium are displayed. The collection features Roman mosaics and re-created Roman rooms which provide visitors an insight in to the life and times of a Roman city. Remaining with the Roman theme, and just a short walk from the museum, is the Roman Theatre which is the only visible example of its kind in the United Kingdom. Its acoustics were perfectly suited to musical and dramatic performances. Close by are the foundations of a Roman town house, a secret shrine and a row of Roman shops. St Albans railway station is just 20 minutes away from London’s St Pancras International railway station on the First Capital Connect train line.